Things Meant To Be Broken
by Eliza4892
Summary: Meredith and Alex discuss New Year's resolutions.


"Hey," Meredith said, as she came to a stop next to the bench that sat on one side of the paved walkway leading out of Seattle Grace. Alex looked up at her, and almost subconsciously scooted over to the far end to make room for her to have a seat. She took it with a small smile, looking out at the dark parking lot for a second before glancing back at him. "Your shift over?"

"No, I'm sitting out here because I enjoy the view." He answered, sarcastically, though the edge was gone from his voice and he sounded more tired than anything. She gave him an unamused look, and he added, "Sorry. Why aren't you gone already anyway? Thought you got off awhile ago."

"I'm waiting for Derek. We're going out to dinner." She told him, chewing on her bottom lip before looking at him. "What about you? What are you waiting for?"

"Izzie," he huffed, trying to sound more annoyed then Meredith knew he really was. She watched the way he leaned back heavily into the bench, turning his head side to side in order to stretch out the kinks. "I've been driving her home since O'Malley keeps switching shifts and you and Shepherd have become the couple that makes everyone want to hurl."

She laughed, mostly to cover up her embarrassment than out of true amusement. "We are not that bad." He just shook his head, which prompted her to ask, "Are we?"

Alex shrugged. "How would I know? I just get bits and pieces of it from Izzie. Apparently you giggle too much and he's picky about food." He recounted thoughtfully. "Plus you also make googely eyes at each other constantly." Izzie's wording, she sincerely hoped.

"Anything else?" She asked, wondering just how much of an earful Alex had gotten. The corners of his mouth lifted in a teasing grin and she knew he wasn't going to give her anymore details. Just enough to leave her curious. "You know you two didn't have any room to talk not too long ago." The grin disappeared and his eyes narrowed in her direction. Clearly, that was too much of a touchy subject with him. Not so with Izzie, she noted. "Sorry."

He relaxed, losing some of his earlier hostility. "I'll get over it," he said quietly, looking down at his hands as he said it.

Meredith sighed, "God, it's only the third week of January and I've already managed to break my resolution."

Cocking his head and raising an eyebrow, he asked, "What was it?"

"I was going to have a nice, normal, no-frills relationship for once. No one was going to get hurt and we weren't going to be _that _couple. The one who holds hands and kiss cheeks and…make googely eyes." Alex snorted, and she smiled. "Now you're telling me that we make that couple look good. Resolution broken."

"Resolutions are meant to be broken," he replied, glancing towards the doors of the hospital briefly.

"Yeah, okay," she said. "Spoken like someone who's already broken theirs."

"No, spoken like someone who doesn't buy into all that bullshit," Alex responded, looking down at the ground. She could tell he was lying, could see right through his act. But she let it go for now. "Besides, I'm serious. They are meant to be broken. There's even a friggin' day for it."

That caught her interest. "What are you talking about?"

"It's some kind of National Break Your New Year's Resolution Day or something else official sounding. They have a day for everything now. Might as well have one for this seeing how everyone does it sooner or later." He told her, the last part probably there to convince himself more than her.

"Seriously?" She asked, and he shook his head. "Seriously," she repeated, this time with a giggle. He gave her a look pinpointing that as one of Izzie's complaints and she clamped her mouth shut, still grinning. "How did you know that anyway?"

"Every year my sister resolves to have a relationship that doesn't end in her keying some guy's car and every year when she breaks it she blames it on that day. Says it was meant to be broken and that day is cursed." He said, and it was the first time she'd ever heard him talk about his sister. She wasn't even aware he had one. Alex wasn't really a guy who talked about his past or his family or anything personal really.

"Well, if its official I guess I have to follow it don't I?" She responded, as they lapsed into not entirely uncomfortable silence. It didn't last long as a certain doctor with perfect hair walked up towards them.

"Meredith, Dr. Karev," Derek greeted, as he stopped a pace or two away from them, hands in the pockets of his coat. "What are you two talking about?"

"Broken resolutions," she announced.

"A little early for that don't you think?" He said, sounding surprised.

"Apparently not," she glanced in Alex's direction and he nodded in agreement. "Not for some of us."

Derek seemed confused by this little in-joke that he wasn't privy to, but he didn't let it affect him too much. She had a feeling she'd be telling him tonight anyway. "Are you ready to go?"

Meredith nodded, nudging Alex with her shoulder, "See you tomorrow." He nudged her back and shook his head and she rose, coming to stand next to Derek, taking his proffered hand.

"Yeah, you two try not to make the wait staff ill." He said and she sent him a glare that could melt ice. In reply, he smirked, pleased with himself.

They had started off but had only gone a few steps before Meredith turned, letting go of Derek's hand as a sign to go on to the car without her, and looking back at the drained man who watched the doors again. "Not all of them have to be broken though."

He turned his head to look at her, startled by her reappearance, "What?" 

"You can still get over her," she continued, and she caught the surprise as well as the recognition in his eyes, confirming that her guess had been correct. He had indeed made a resolution, and it was one that had everything to do with the pretty blonde he waited for. "You never were one to follow rules anyway."

Alex nodded, giving her a smirk that faltered before he had to look away. She studied him with sad eyes for a moment longer and then hurried to catch up with Derek.


End file.
